The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) needs to find a way to prove the rest of the student body wrong. For years there have been ensuing debates on the usefulness of Penn State's student government and whether or not is productivity, or lack thereof, has an effect.

And for the past month, low attendance at several of the USG Senate's committee meetings has brought any production the USG may have had to a standstill. According to the Senate bylaws, official proceedings of any committee meeting can only be conducted when at least five members are in attendance.

Unfortunately, senators within these committees, senators who were elected by the student body and have made a commitment to the USG, do not find it necessary to attend these meetings.

How can the Senate claim to be a productive body when it is unable to get a minimum of five committee members to show up for a meeting? Senate President Chris Owens said that the drop in attendance can be attributed to the Intrafraternity/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. However, each senator has a responsibility, and that responsibility is to represent students through the positions those same students elected them for.

If the USG wants to show the student body that it has the ability to change the university than they need to stop telling Penn State and finally do it.

With all the bureaucracy that USG President Galen Foulke has gone through it is not surprising that he would rather go around the Senate than go directly through it. And now, after last semester's impeachment attempt, Foulke is once again preoccupied with more red tape.

The USG Academic Assembly President Mark Levin wants a formal apology from Foulke and Multicultural Affairs Director Mark Bagley for Bagley's alleged unprofessional behavior. Levin also wants the dismissal of Bagley. Unfortunately, Foulke is once again bombarded with an inconsequential situation that will only take away time from actually producing legislation that may prove to be useful.

If USG cannot learn to throw away its petty problems and actually do what they were elected for, then there is no reason for them to argue that they are a positive addition to the university.

Penn State students do not care what language was used, or how legislation gets passed, as long as it gets done and they see results. The university has seen USG produce positive legislation, despite its untimely manner. However, USG members need to stop worrying about the personal vendettas that take up the bulk of their time. Once they realize this, then students may be willing to show them the respect they claim to deserve.